Final city centre access strategy released

The NSW Government today released the final City Centre Access Strategy for Sydney, the state’s first detailed plan showing how people will enter, exit and move in and around the CBD over the next 20 years.

The strategy provides a street-by-street, mode-by-mode solution to unlock transport capacity and drive investment in Australia’s only global city.

Minister for Transport Gladys Berejiklian and Minister for Roads and Ports Duncan Gay said the Access Strategy demonstrates how light rail, buses, trains, cars, taxis, pedestrians and cyclists will interact in the heart of Sydney, where more than 780,000 trips will be made each weekday in 2031 – up by 150,000 trips from today.

Submissions to Transport for NSW on the draft strategy from more than 250 individuals and 48 organisations supported an expansion to light rail, new bus priority corridors through the CBD and a linked cycleway network.

A greater focus on walking – which accounts for most trips in the city centre - was strongly supported in the submissions, with about 20 per cent of people nominating increased pedestrian priority on footpaths or at intersections as a key issue.

Ms Berejiklian said the NSW Government would now focus its efforts on delivering the final plan.

“This Strategy builds on what the NSW Government has already done to relieve CBD congestion, including diverting 60 morning peak buses from York Street to the Cahill Expressway, introducing a dedicated Police Motorcycle Response Team to target congestion, trialing double-deck buses, and improving the Sydney Harbour Bridge Southern Toll Plaza Precinct,” she said.

“We have strengthened our focus in the final plan on making the CBD more accessible for taxis, work vehicles and people with a disability, and confirmed that we will get on with delivering light rail and the newly designed bus network.”

Mr Gay said the final plan included preserved access for motorists by optimising traffic routes and the introduction of a special taskforce to keep the city moving.

“The Taskforce will control traffic lights, clear incidents and work with the Police Motorcycle Response Team on the ground to make sure the CBD transport network is always operating efficiently,” he said.

“A lot of this work has been about integration – ensuring an effective balance between the many different ways people get to the city centre and move around it once they’re here.”

Meantime, the NSW Government today released regional transport plans for the Northern Rivers and Mid North Coast.